Mortal Shell 2 Cage Key: Location, Price & Usage Guide

The Cage Key in Mortal Shell 2 is sold by the Hunter Merchant for 250 Coins. It unlocks the cage next to him and frees the caged creature inside. To reach the merchant, travel to the left side of the Mushroom Village Beacon and walk toward the Arch.

What Is the Cage Key?

The Cage Key is a key item in Mortal Shell 2 used to unlock a cage near the Hunter Merchant. Unlike many other keys in the game, it is not looted from a corpse or hidden behind an illusion. You purchase it directly from the NPC who stands beside the locked cage. This makes it one of the few keys in the game that is bought with currency rather than discovered through exploration.

The key is listed as a standard purchase option in the merchant’s inventory. Once you own it, the item stays in your key inventory and is consumed automatically when used on the correct cage. There is no known way to duplicate or craft this key, and the merchant appears to sell only one copy.

Where to Buy the Cage Key

You can purchase the Cage Key from the Hunter Merchant for 250 Coins. The merchant is located near the left side of the Mushroom Village Beacon. From the beacon, head toward the Arch and you will find the merchant standing beside the cage.

Make sure you bring enough coins before traveling to this location. The merchant does not accept trades or items in place of currency. If you do not have 250 Coins, you will need to farm enemies in the surrounding area and return later.

The cage is clearly visible next to the merchant, so the key is easy to locate once you know where to look. This is a straightforward purchase compared to keys that require nighttime illusions or dungeon exploration.

How to Use the Cage Key

After purchasing the Cage Key, interact with the cage beside the Hunter Merchant. The key is required to free the caged creature located next to him. The game consumes the key automatically when you use it on the correct lock.

What happens after freeing the creature is not described in the available sources. The collected information only confirms that the key’s purpose is to open that specific cage and release the creature inside. Any rewards, quest outcomes, or gameplay effects tied to this action are not yet documented in the collected material.

Hideout Cage Key: A Different Key

Do not confuse the Cage Key with the Hideout Cage Key. The Hideout Cage Key is a separate key item found in Coward’s Retreat. You can loot it from a body inside the cage after falling through a hole in the ceiling. The body is leaning on the other side of the cage walls, making it reachable once you land in the cell.

The Hideout Cage Key unlocks the makeshift hideout cell. Its flavor text reads: “The weathered wrought iron is scratched ornamentally. This key has been rarely used.” This key is used to escape the prison cell in Coward’s Retreat, not to free the merchant’s creature.

Other Useful Keys Near Mushroom Village

The Mushroom Village area contains several important keys worth collecting while you are nearby. The Chapel Key is hidden behind an illusion that only appears at night. Rest at the bonfire surrounded by Babkas until it is dark, then look for the illusory archway. Pass through it to find a kneeling statue with the key hanging from a rope beside it. The Chapel Key opens the Chapel in the Grisha Hunter camp and leads to the Shrine of Trials dungeon.

The Damp Key sits on top of a metal crate in the back corner of the Flooded Village’s elevated area. It opens the door of a wooden house that contains the Forgotten Crossbow. The Feeding Room Key is found inside a wooden shack deep within the Holding Cells Dungeon and unlocks the rounded door at the bottom of a well in a waterlogged area, leading to an elevator.

Farming Coins for the Cage Key

If you arrive at the Hunter Merchant without 250 Coins, the fastest way to earn more is to defeat enemies near Mushroom Village and loot their corpses. Most hostile creatures in the area drop currency, and exploring side paths often reveals additional corpses with loot.

There is no known discount or alternate source for the Cage Key. The merchant’s price is fixed at 250 Coins. Farming is simple but can take a few minutes if you have been spending currency on consumables or upgrades. Consider clearing the nearby Babka camp or revisiting an area with weaker enemies to build up your supply quickly.

Should You Buy the Cage Key Early?

The Cage Key is a low-cost key item that opens content right next to the vendor who sells it. Because the merchant and the cage are so close together, it is easy to complete this interaction as soon as you have the coins. There is no obvious downside to buying it early unless you are saving currency for another purchase.

The value of freeing the caged creature depends on what the creature does afterward. The collected sources do not describe whether the creature becomes a vendor, an ally, or simply disappears. If you are trying to complete every side interaction in Mushroom Village, buying this key is worthwhile, since the exact long-term benefit is not yet documented.

Common Mistakes When Looking for the Cage Key

Some players search the Mushroom Village environment for the Cage Key because most keys are found as loot. This key is different because it must be purchased from the Hunter Merchant. If you are running in circles looking for a corpse or hidden chest, stop and look for the merchant instead.

Another common confusion is mixing up the Cage Key with the Hideout Cage Key. Both keys have similar names and both involve cages, but they are found in different areas and serve different purposes. The Hideout Cage Key is looted in Coward’s Retreat, while the Cage Key is bought near Mushroom Village.

Players also sometimes assume the caged creature is hostile. The collected sources do not describe the creature as an enemy, but they do not confirm it is friendly either. Approach the cage after buying the key and see what interaction options appear.

Watch: Mortal Shell 2 Key Location Guides

If you are hunting the Chapel Key or other keys near Mushroom Village, these videos show the exact routes. The first covers how to get the Chapel Key step by step, and the second shows where to use it once you have it. They complement the written locations above and are useful if you get stuck on a specific step.

Tips for Collecting Keys in Mortal Shell 2

Most keys in Mortal Shell 2 are acquired by exploring the map thoroughly. Some are only visible at night or hidden behind illusions, so rest at bonfires to change the time of day when needed. Others are sold by vendors or looted from corpses in hard-to-reach places.

Keep a stock of coins for merchant keys like the Cage Key. NPCs that sell keys usually stand near the lock they open, which makes it easy to remember where to return. If a path seems blocked by a locked door, look for a nearby corpse, hidden switch, or merchant.

The collected guides note that some keys are still being discovered by the community. If you find a locked area with no obvious key source, it may be tied to content that has not yet been documented. Mark the location and check back after future updates or community discoveries.